Solomon High School teacher, Erick Underwood, was recently awarded a grant from The Community Foundation of Dickinson County to purchase 3D printers for Emerging Technologies and STEM courses. The new technology will give students hands-on experience bringing their digital designs to life.
This grant exemplifies The Community Foundation of Dickinson County's commitment to investing in initiatives that positively impact the Solomon community. The grant amount was enough to purchase 2.5 3D printers and supplies. Underwood requested the remaining funds from the Solomon Gorilla Foundation which was approved at the October meeting.
Underwood said that, “Obtaining 3D printers for our students will allow them to explore CAD design. 3D design and modelling is a growing industry, and we want to equip students with the skills to work in whatever career they want.” The 3D printers give students a chance to apply their programming skills and see their design brought to life.
Our world-class educators consistently find areas to expand their curriculum. Underwood has taught CAD courses for several years and is excited to add the 3D printing element to his instruction. As students grow comfortable with the printers, Underwood sees opportunities for 3D modelling and printing use in Robotics and hopes to incorporate a business element where students can create, print, and sell their designs locally.
The Solomon community is small but mighty and through the efforts of The Community Foundation of Dickinson County and The Solomon Gorilla Foundation, the school is able to continue to offer its students excellence in education. Follow the 3D printer journey on social media to see what fun designs our students bring to life!
đź“· Credit: Mr. Erick Underwood Alt Text: The 2026-27 Solomon Robotics Team consisting of 13 High School students
